We've heard ten thousand times about how awful it is that Obama kept worshipping at the church led by just awful Reverend Wright, how he kept going for 20 years.
Well it sure seems to me that McCain.s decades long, close relationship with Phil Gramm, his most embraced economic advisor, signifies much worse than Obama's case.
You can be a member of a church and not have your minister speak for an represent you. You can be a member of a church and not have anything more than a brief conversation with your minister every few weeks.
But when you are the chief economic advisor on the campaign team, when you act as an official surrogate, speaking to audiences on behalf of your candidate, that is several quantum levels more involved, more connected to the candidate.
So we have Phil Gramm telling us the nation's economic problems are all in our head, that it's a "mental recession" and we're a nation of whiners.
This should be pretty easy math. You have a foolish, overly bombastic, self promoting pastor or you have an out of touch, let-them-eat cake, arrogant ADVISOR and official campaign surrogate and spokesperson who insults Americans and is clueless on the biggest challenge facing Americans, playing close advisor role to a candidate who has admitted he doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to economics.
Which is worse?
Yet where's the comparison on the mainstream media? Why aren't we seeing in big, bold letters, McCain's Gramm = Obama's Rev. Wright?
I'll tell you why. The Dems have not done any viral email campaigns. They don't have a horde of right wing sycophant media allies at Fox, CNN and the networks ginning out the meme, like was done for Wright.
And they have Carly Fiorina saying that these people aren't important, nobody pays attention to them. Why do I recall the scene in the first Star Wars movie when Obi Wan Kenobe hypnotizes the starship troopers, telling them, "we're not important."
Sorry Carly, but Senator Gramm is a direct representative, a formally delegated speaker for candidate McCain-- the back-up and cover for his previous confessions of ignorance.
Gramm = Wright-- that should be the message Obama's people push the next few days in every talking head moment they get. People will recognize the difference between a foolish minister and an offensively misguided advisor-spokesperson. Build them the idea, feed it to them and they will digest it.
And while we're at it, let's not forget Reverend Hagee, the Catholic hater who McCain initially embraced, until he unembraced him. Oh... and Rev. Parsley too.
Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com and is a columnist with Northstarwriters.com. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.
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To Watch me on youtube, having a lively conversation with John Conyers, Chair of the House Judiciary committee, click here Now, wouldn't you like to see me on the political news shows, representing progressives. If so, tell your favorite shows to bring me on and refer them to this youtube video
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A few declarations.
-While I'm registered as a Democrat, I consider myself to be a dynamic critic of the Democratic party, just as, well, not quite as much, but almost as much as I am a critic of republicans.
-My articles express my personal opinion, not the opinion of this website.
Dr. Feel-NO-Pain-Gramm :'wise-cracker' in residence
Perfectly accurate article. Pat on the back for this one too. Phil Gramm is 'doctor' of corporate welfare and fat-cat-deregulation legislation, And while he was senator from the authoritarian-incubator-state-of-Texas, voodoo-economics-advocate-"Dr"Phil Gramm was Public-Trough-Pocket-Line-with-Taxpayer-Money-King-of-Corporate-Deregulation-----Gramm was cheerleader for the 'feed-the-rich-starve-the-poor' attitudes of the Republican-dominated Congress from 1994 to even this present one, with the Bush-Democrats' complicity in allowing Bush all he wants and more of the neo-con agenda. We still get LSM (lamestream media) complete, iron-clad complicity in the 'bash-Obama-ignore-McCain' "coverage" that is monopolistically fed the American public. The 'pubs have the Supreme Court, the media and the White House and the Senate in Congress that they control. No wonder "Dr. Feel-bad-mental-recession" Gramm gets to say such things with impunity.
by
JOHN LORENZ (17 articles, 89 quicklinks, 67 diaries, 220 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 5:57:19 AM
Pathetic
What is really pathetic with this article is that the author is too ignorant (not stupid), or either he still thinks most of us are, to know that a if people vote for a Democrat or a Republican would be like chosing between the Nazi's or National Socialists (communists) in Germany in the mid 1930's! Both of these anti-American, anti-Constitutional, anti-liberty, antii-freedom organizations are just opposite sides of the same coin, or different pathways to the same hell. I feel sorry for you Rob ole boy.
by (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 7:58:57 AM
You're new here and starting off offensive, nasty and combative. And you start with me, which I much prefer. We have no problem with welcoming conservatives to this site, but they must speak and interact civilly or we ban you from this site and all future sites that use the same registration system.
You really are welcome here if you can engage in civil discussion. Call names and get nasty and you're gone. BTW, probably 30% of the visitors here, maybe more, don't like either the dems or republicans. And probably 95% would support third part equality and elections that allowed for something like instant run-off voting.
So, Steve, you're a bright guy. Get your talk out of the gutter, recognize that 94% of readers here have at least some college and 35% have graduate degrees and don't assume you are smarter than anyone and you might enjoy some healthy verbal jousting. Or you could just call me or other names and get yourself banned. Your call.
and you left out rotting, maggot infested pig shit. Sometimes you only have limited options to choose from.
rob kall
publisher OEN
by
Rob Kall (869 articles, 4016 quicklinks, 345 diaries, 1847 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 8:46:34 AM
The National Socialists *were* the Nazi's. Not the communists. Nazi was a contraction for "National Zocialist".
by
Maxwell (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 275 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 9:43:53 AM
Response to Rob and Apology
Rob,
I was not aware, sincerely, that the word 'ignorant' was automatically taken as 'name calling'. I should have made my meaning more clear. Here are 4 definitions of the word...
1.
lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned: an ignorant man.
2.
lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact: ignorant of quantum physics.
3.
uninformed; unaware.
4.
due to or showing lack of knowledge or training: an ignorant statement.
I was referring to #2 and/or #3. Neither of these should be taken, in my opinion, as name calling. There are many fields and subjects that I am 'ignorant' of simply because I either have been mislead, maybe brainwashed, or maybe I haven't even studied the subject at all.
I certainly apologize if the meaning was misconstrued.
Now, as far as my second post in which I compare Democrats and Republicans to two common substances that most pet owners are intimately familiar with - doggie bags, dog waster picker-uppers, doggie bag drop boxes, cat litter boxes for sale everywhere, etc, etc - I didn't think that I would offend someones 'virgin' ears here in making such a succinct and dead-on comparison in order to drive home a point.
One thing all my kids (all grown now) thank me for everyday is raising them in such a way that they have a high immunity to 'brainwashing', or should that word really be 'brainsoiling' - probably more appropriate. So, if I offended anyone, I apologize. Having been in the military (officer), and having worked in the oil business many years, and for NASA on the space shuttle project, I guess I am more accustomed than some to hearing such graphic comparisons to make a point.
I've also lived and experienced life in Russia and the Ukraine - which by the way, I'd like to mention an interesting point. My wife and many of my friends are from the Ukraine. We brainstorm quiet often to come up with ways that we are more 'free' here in the US than the average man in the Ukraine. Putting material possessions aside, we have only come up with one area where we are more free here today than we would be in the Ukraine - and that is that we can still much more easily own a firearm - and that is about it. So what do we really mean when we say 'land of the free, home of the brave'? What really sets us apart in terms of freedom and liberty from other countries? Answer: Not much.
by (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 11:39:15 AM
I had to chuckle at the way you (cooly) handled the "greater than thou" pseudointellectual individual known as "Steve". Oddly enough, within my innercircle of friends, a "Steve was recently introduced and after a few get-togethers, we refer to him as "Psycho". Very limited social skills and thinks he's right and everyone else "doesn't have a clue"....must be something about the name. heheh Arrogance is often a cover-up for insecurities and it would appear the the "Steves" have that particular commodity in an abundance.
by
Galen (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 35 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 7:55:06 PM
Stephen, when you call someone "ignorant," it's smarter
to avoid making multiple foolish blunders in your own attack. You wrote, "... to know that a if people vote for a Democrat or a Republican would be like chosing between the Nazi's or National Socialists (communists) in Germany in the mid 1930's..."
- First of all, "National Socialists" were the Nazis, not the "communists." You're evidently too dim a bulb to even realize that this is where the word "Nazi" comes from. Secondly, the last election held in Hitler-era Germany was in 1932, not the "mid" 1930's. And you spelled "choosing" wrong. And your sentence is ungrammatical -- you can't say "if ...X... would be like chosing." So you flunk your history, your grammar, & your spelling.
So who's really the "ignorant" one, here?
by
Richard Mynick (2 articles, 3 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 1234 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 9:51:08 AM
by
Ivan Hentschel (5 articles, 0 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 264 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 9:58:38 AM
Yes, I knew that.
Yes, you are correct and I realized my typo after posting and I couldn't correct it. I was in a hurry. But, I assure you I am not a 'dim bulb' any more than someone might be if their post contained several typos or slips. This is not a perfect medium for discourse you know?
by (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 11:43:37 AM
Steve, buddy, your comments are INANE. Democrat vs. Republican has nothing to do with Nazi-vs-Communist of 1930s Germany. We are in a fight for our lives as a nation. It matters very much what happens in this election. While I could agree that both national parties have glaring faults and are probably both to some degree complicit in bowing to the ruling national oligarchy, there IS a difference even so. The Republicans have gutted the Constitution, started a pre-emptive war (contrary to every tradition of the USA in the past) and are dead set to dismantle the minimal social safety net that still barely hangs on to help poor people who are vulnerable stay one step ahead of homelessness. There IS a difference, and a big one at that, between the rank and file beliefs of each major national party, Democrat and Republican. Now I could agree that there needs to be more third party access to our system and much LESS lobbying and fat-cat purchasing of election activities, but still, to dismissively write off anyone who works within this system as 'stupid' or ignorant (pretty harsh terms), is just to make yourself look like a malocontent that is just full of self-adoration.
Rob Kall is far from ignorant. I have been posting on this site now for a while, and have found him to be a good editor of this website who allows for many different views, and unlike Republican shills like Rush Limbaugh, here, opposing points of view are not censored or shouted down or slandered. So, my friend, easy on the rhetoric. If you have some documented facts that you'd like to share even from the neo-con point of view, have at it, But be fair. What you said was neither accurate nor very nice. You'll get fair treatment here, but be fair yourself, OK?
by
JOHN LORENZ (17 articles, 89 quicklinks, 67 diaries, 220 comments)
on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 5:32:14 AM
Most of the people who post on this site are here for debate and discussion about how to understand the mess we are in, how to be constructive and fix the mess we are in and politely recognize that there are always two sides to the fence. Sometimes am amazed and appalled by the lack of open and honest debating skills that some folks display.
Stephen, I don't know who you are made at (mostof us are angry about something), but your language and your demeanor are not furthering your cause. And you do not flatter yourself by engaging in name calling or by being so blatantly judgemental.
by
Ivan Hentschel (5 articles, 0 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 264 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 9:20:22 AM
Personally, I am thrilled to hear Phil Graham call the recession "mental" and the American people "winers". Whether the MSM emphasizes it or not, it will get out. People like Phil Graham do alright during recessions (in fact, now is a great time to be buying stock in solid companies at "fire sale" prices). People out of work or being squeezed by inflation beg to differ. And they vote.
by
Maxwell (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 275 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 9:49:54 AM
the problem here is that the Gramm-McCain faction of the world would not feel a receesion any more that a wolfpack would amidt a group of elk. They just completely miss that gasoline to the American consumer is three times the cost at the start of the Administration, that the price of deisel which drives the foods and products is another higher costing gate in the economy of the nation. And they don't read inflation.
or that with gimmick economic that if hand everyone a check of 300 or 600 the longterm effect is inflation. And the shift in the equity of the nation keeps tilting toward those so entrenched that they really believe "tickle down" economics is the answer.
There is a parity in the nation. One that can produce progress, tranquility and the promises of prosperity and justice for all. Certainly it isn't in the illusionist thinking that we are getting-- that we are to believe there is a right kind od war that maintains democracy-- and doesn't expand the world of enemies andsinister acts. A wartime economy doesn't address the better angels of our American character.
It is just the excuse. And the fine minds here should and examplify that without argument
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Eliot Gould (13 articles, 0 quicklinks, 21 diaries, 140 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 11:13:34 AM
The article on McCain & 'Foreclosure Phil' has an excellent analysis between the severe damage that Phil Gramm, McCain's chief financial adviser, has caused for everyone and "what has Rev Wright done that has affected your life."
"2,620 YouTube videos call Wright, Barrack Obama's former pastor, a "racist" and an "anti-American" - in comparison to only 58 that accuse Gramm of being an economic "manipulator" and financial "scam artist." These results are curious. You'd think Americans would be more outraged over Gramm's controversial economic policies than Wright's racially charged sermons."
Think about it. How has Jeremiah Wright had a direct effect on the average American? How has he made our lives harder, more expensive? Sure, his use of racial slurs is shocking to those not familiar with "black liberation theology," but on a daily basis, Wright's sermons don't make much difference.
But ex-Sen. Gramm - "Foreclosure Phil" - is a whole different story. We feel the aftershock of his reckless policies regularly.
Regardless of whether you're liberal or conservative, socialist or capitalist, one thing's very clear: Gramm's policies are associated with the Enron scandal, the subprime mortgage meltdown and the fiasco on the energy futures market.
I find your headline offensive to Reverend Jeremiah Wright since it implies there's something wrong with Jeremiah Wright. That you compare the 2 is shameful. Reverend Wright is a good, decent, honest person unlike that fascist theocrat Phil Gramm.
by
Ty (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 888 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 12:18:06 PM
When he hit the circuit, showing his ego, he embarassed a lot of people. He's done some good things and said some truths, but he made a fool of himself, proving himself to be all too human and flawed.
Still, that's no comparison to the liability Gramm is for McCain.
by
Rob Kall (869 articles, 4016 quicklinks, 345 diaries, 1847 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 12:52:40 PM
Rob, I am really not sure that you can compare the two characters. Rev. Wright made some very over the top racist/bigoted remarks, and Phil Gramm made a technically accurate statement regarding the definition of a Recession, and alluded to the fact that we are not in a recession as defined by our nation... Where Phil Gramm went wrong was to insult everyone in the nation by calling everyone a whiner.
That was bad form, and it made him really look silly, but to compare that with the hateful racist statements of Rev. Wright is clearly wrong.
Ciao, CZ
by
steve scheetz (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 693 comments)
on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 9:57:50 PM
Wright's main offense to America was telling the truth
Get a clue, listen to what is really being said throughout Black American communities, and you'll see where Rev Wright is coming from. Yes, he's "larger than life" in style -- but when it was Jim and tammy Faye, everyone just laughed them off.
A black minister preaching social and historic views to a largely in-agreement crowd, (it's a LARGE church BTW,) is considered dangerous; while white preachers who are INTRICATELY INVOLVED in the White House (for example, Christians United For Israel have met AT the White House to discuss what role Iran plays in their view of the coming Armageddeon) are just ignored or called loony tunes.
Of course, nothing feels more scary to America than an angry Black man with a following, right? Add a little education to that and he is on America's Most Wanted list. If you doubt me, ask Mumia Abu-Jamal.
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Mars Caulton (1 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 83 comments)
on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 1:08:50 AM
I think you're wrong, Steve Scheets. Here's why. What Jeremiah Wright did was to express black peoples' anger over their near genocidal treatment by white America for many years, since the founding of the Republic. Maybe Wright was too angry and flamboyant in his rhetoric, but his point is a valid one. Now, Phil Gramm, on the other hand, is coming from a position of cynicism and indifference to the plight of ordinary people. Phil Gramm stands on the side of unethical privilege and two-tiered favoring of the 'haves' at the expense of the 'have nots'. Phil Gramm is not expressing anything honest. He is playing with the concept of 'recession' like a boy playing word games, but behind his little word games is a complete contempt for the average person. Phil Gramm authored much of the legislation that allowed Enron, the Mortgage meltdown and the Freddie Mac/Fannie May failures to take place. He took government oversight and regulaton off the major corporate industries and attempted to return to the destructive laissez-faire policies of the late 1890s wherein the rich were allowed to write into law their own privilege and use of government as the enforcing arm of the 'robber baron families like the Rockefellers, Melons, Carnegies, Du Ponst and Vanderbuilts. Phil Gramm was all for government taking complete hands-off to regulating big business. The regulations had been forced to be put into place after the Great Depresssion precisely to curb the kind of abuses that led to the Great Depression happening in the first place. When Gramm tried to turn back the clock, he engendered the abuses that we see today in the banking, the commodities and the war-defense industries. So, be aware, that there are two different motivations that drive Jeremiah Wright vis a vis Phil Gramm. The former wss speaking from the point of aggrieved victim; the latter is the advocate of oligarchy being allowed to practice unbridled, socially irresponsible profit motive to the detriment of the public wellbeing. Wright may be wrong to use cursing language, but Gramm is fundamentally evil in actually cursing the lives of the every day American with his elitism.
by
JOHN LORENZ (17 articles, 89 quicklinks, 67 diaries, 220 comments)
on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 7:11:53 AM
What Phil Gramm said was stupid. but then the Elite in Government dont live like us poor folks. they dont get up at 4.00a.m every day and go to work to put food on the table, and work you ass off for what Minnium Wages, or if your luckey a little bit more. all these wealthy people were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. If you look at our Government all are wealthy and dont gaive a dam about you or me. THIS IS THE PROBLEM THAT NOW EXHISTS. the Constitution say's that all public servents must have no ouyside interest. but our elected officials all have outside interest. Bush and his family control over 50 % of Texico oil and gas corporation. Look at Dick Cheney and his ties to Halliburton and its K.B.R subsidiary. Cheney is making a fortune off this war and so is Bush. This idiot Government is way out of wack, or control. They dont serve the people. they serve themselves. people of America have lost their Government. its GONE. the American way of life is gone. this has happened because the dum people have let this happen. you can say if we have organized crime in america, its in our government. THE mafia.
by
vincent passiatore (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 177 comments)
on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 12:11:36 AM
vincent passiatore is correct about Americans having lost their Government. Phil Gramm was one of the most destructive elected officials that I have ever heard about.
I get furious everytime I hear someone defend Phil Gramm. Do a search on "Foreclosure Phil" no last name needed or a search on Gramm and Enron.
I do not care about the technical definition of a recession. I do know that Bush already created a substantial deficit. The trillions for bailing out banks will be on the taxpayers back. The experts predict more banks are going to fail.
Gramm's statement about a mental recession is not a one-time slip. It has been one of McCain's talking point that the media has ignored while they hyper-focused on Obama.
The bottom link contains a consolidated video of all the times McCain insulted the intelligence of the American people.
He acknowledged that offshore drilling and his pandering tax gas holiday do not amount to anything of value - just a psychological b
